politics and ideology in marxist theory

8/3/2019 Politics and Ideology in Marxist Theory

1/197

Politics and Ideolog'yin Marxist Theory

Capitalsm - Fascism Populism

Laclau, Ern est o. Politics an d Ideology in Mar x ist Th eory : Cap ita lism ,

Fas cism , Popu lism . London : NLB, 19 7 7 .


2/197


3/197

Contents

Introduction 7

1 Feudalism and Capitalism in LatinAmerica 15

2 The Specicity of the Poitical 5

3 Fascism and Ieoogy 8

4. Towars a Theory of Populism 13

Inex 00


4/197

In trod uctin

Mn ho snc choo t cs to t ntnc of cv cno s t ts wol n wnsid th cv poct the sadow ote n nd lnng th oics of tse mn t te os t inhtnts of th c con cl tht t st e e fo t sc on On of th psons ho mng espe n p-cs th t o ign of th oc r es fo th

c n ss th lght o t s s h tthe he cos ccstoe to n t e gns n-ls hm to sn t wich nlvng

Pltos llego of the c cos fr st t nhisto he Com n scosdx s psn s sst o s tcltons n

hch concts o ot lk by r oc tions ut o un togth sm tt o voctiv lins whch cstom n ono stsh twnth It is pcis th ssttic cc o ths smof ticlios which Pltos nto ts to inh Dilogus th unit of coon sens scouse ht wol cll tod iolog icl sc os) d ssol ctc ocess ic ds to th pcton o c concpt hcitiu cosists i th ng of thos lns tn con-cts h ch th esie of opnon n c stom oon thi co notti l tonships ths concpts ds pln ssntl pdgtic coc to hic th pvlgvision of th ph los ophe l s Koldg psupposs thn

n optio o uptu: dsticlto of ds fom tosconnottv dois to hich t pp lnd in th o


5/197

8

f a misleadng necety whc enabes s subsequently trecnstc ther te arclatns.

This dal mvement a rpte the appent obvinss atclatns esablshed by cstm and an attempt t

ver essential paradgmatc elatns by means f speanalyss cnepts - has ng cnsttted a haractestcand nstant feate f Epean thgh Frm he 'methdgca vagrany f Descates t the appeal the nbesavae f te 18th centy, the Enghtenment qest inPersa r Chna f paadgms ctca f he exstng sia

de Erpean thght was increasngly

se nfrntatins beteen derent res as a means f relatvizng tswn nstttns cstms and habs f thght herebhse cnceps hch dened f he buee the abstatcndtns f any pssble sety s he necessay atuan wth he cncete fms n hch thse nditns weecally materaled Ths was he case example wt he

declne absm as a hegemnc delgy n EpeThe deence he estng scal rder pvate pperty andther pncples dented by the brgese wh te veryestene f the cmmny appeared less and less I nked t thenstttn f mnachy: the dentcatn between the twwhch had cnsttted the cre f the ptcal dsse fabslsm began dsslve le the relatn btween theves and the shadws n Plats cave It was pssble afte aetan pnt t be cnservatve tt ben narhaalthgh t brea the bnd between the tw pncpes andtansfrm s pte n an bvs at f pltica dscrse reqed n ance mre han a enty n he saeway t a lng tme f he nept f rganed enmc

cmnty t be atated wth the dnan deliadse wt the bas pnpe enm ibealmAdam Smths nvsble hand was anyth bt evdent fhis ntmpraes Fnally extat the cnept f decray f the negtve nntatns f mble and tas

fm t nt a pstve cncept nceasngly artclated wthlbeal pltcal dscrse demanded the whle altenatng

pess f evtns and eatins thrght the nneteenth enty

hese sess ve attempts t brea the delgca artila


6/197

nrdin

ton of cour unoy l n ncrng pricton of concpt n urop c potcl conomro from proc of trcton dd potc or

d o th noton of contrct Howr th progorc twn t rct chrctr of cocpt n thoogcconnot domn to wc ty thton rtcut d n tm t n oppot uon t ppoton tt yond comon n dcor concp prt from ny co nnott rtcton cod y mppoton of tr logc uat rcontruct ty

wo. h w t rto mton ht run troughWtrn poophy from ato o Hgl t of dxco nt tt contnuou fbrc whch or n rtcry po mnng t of poophy pr tocntct t toty of t frc n nee de nhrgh rin lik n t t po ploopicl owldg tr o or Pt onc dua m o pnc momn of c Ror momnt of ncn t Hgn ctc or crytl t po of rc um n th Ptonc ctc th connotattcuton o d cour cotut anaontc ont ofrnc gnt wc poophy t rcont concpt in hemeve. t th l o dx oncpt pp

tcl t y form pncp tn o npoopy ad r ogca pro he on prncp la tng m a concpt t futr pot th ytmatccactr of th r to n n t pot contctng rogh tm ytm ro tt wc d cctrz t cour of dx w t poc wryconcp wr o rrtc t on t a o tir nt l

coon wt a prdigm wo ot of tca onw thfo onl h poog to t potao of ncrgatc ng h rult w that wn rtmatr lop wc rnounc prgm n lmt tl ctua n our to crpton of ro rtctontorcy given t nt accompanmnt w a

owng cptcm ot nowg chWt ppn on t othr nd f w ccpt cncpoc n p t nt t of hoca prcch pcaton of conc pt that ay th mnton


7/197

10

o an onnottive rtiultions - whist assering the impossiii of ctig tem ito neessa pardgathoe? T enta onsequenes oo rom this hngeo vw. Fy, ot ever onep has a neeSSY retion

wt ohr I s not possie hereore sarting wih on tlwm. nstr te totait o he sstem. stema w, n oer ords depend on the artiuaion o onces whh e not ogia interinked eond it is nob stash neessar reations etween dierent onpt.ual es sh tt we od pass rom one o t pre' dedutive proess - ut on the onditions siit o their artiuation. hird tereore anoximaion te onret presupposes inreasing ompx oneptua artiuations and not he mere eposition o ogia properties o a simpe oepta woe Conseent he more onrete is the nasis te more theoretieterinations us b inuded in i; and sine teoreti

eterminaions are not neessar momens in the seunodingf an essene ut dsrete oneptua ormations the preondiion or an theoretia approximion to the onretemprises a progressie proess o astration whih reesnep rom their onnotatie riutions.

eoetia prtie has een gret hidered the tes we ave disssed: te onotiv riatio oopts at the eve o ommon sense disourse and heirtnist artiution into essentia pradigms he esss tis vome he een ritten in the onvition tht tesees e omined reae an nsatisato state ofs or Mris heor he hve aso een written in teonvition hat te most reent Mrist thougt rom Dell

V Athsser has srted to onstrut he ondtions o st eding o Marism tha wi ene s to overometese i diuties o see ho this omnation o os hs ted et us ook a the proem o the onnotive rtltions o ideoogia disourse. o the etent tatarxist teorei pratie has een hisoria ined tosoiais poa pratie onnotative artiations o poia disourse ave tended to b atomata transormed intotheorei deemntions. ae or eape the onept oapitas. n Marist theor is onep has a dened


8/197


9/197

2

producton (captasm n the ascendant was epressed bylberalism captism n clne by fascsm and o on). Wdo not wish to examne he the aos exen wrebyclass reducionsm ha tred to negrate hsto vay nits schema sme of them a studied and ctcd sehrein this vome What s iportant to emhas i that heecacy of these expedients has been radually rdd hhstorca eperence of he cass strue and th snt hmases on a word scale has proressively brokn do thesystem of connotative atclatons in which the provncal

uocentrism of the econd and hrd Internationals had encapsuated Marst theoretcal concepts ot for nothn dd

the Althussean endeavor arse in a world domnated by thdivision of the word communis moement, by the end of thecold war, by decolonization and by the emergence of newcontradctons n advanced capitaist counties he man-tude o the theoretica and poltical problems conrontingMarxim in tis new historica situation necessitated a ruptrewith te lat traces o eductionsm. he abandonment of thePatonc cave of class reductonism demands, today an in-creasng theoretica formaaton o Marst cateoriesbreakn at once wth the connoate articulatons of polticadiscorse and with the postlaton o paadmatic relatons

between concepts hs enterprise can n turn only be benecialfor socalist potica practce at a tme when the proletaratmust abandon any narow class pespectve and present tselas a heemonc force to the vast masss seein a radcapoltcal reorentation n the epoch o the world decne ofcapalism hs s the domain where Marsm n the last two

decades has made ndenable advances and t is t th task hathe essays prsented here are intended t make a modes contribton.

The four essays hich folo have a smiar srucure All ofthem start from one or more theotcal oncepts and certainpolemics tha have developed ove them hey then seek to

demonstrate h way n which confusions have arisen eitherthrouh a falure to respect the eve o abstracion o theconcept in queston by introduction o theoretcal determnations apropriate ony to moe concre evels of anaysis or


10/197

ntroduction 13

hrogh a da of he speccy of a deermae coradco ad a assmao of o aoher a reducosfasho he case of he poemc oer feudasm ad caa

sm he error has bee he legmae rso of he oo osage he ery coce of 'mod of produco; he robem of he seccy of he o sace has bee hedecao of roduco ad ecoomy he debaesor fascsm has bee he cass asco of eleme ofdeoogy he case of ous has bee he rducoseqao of he peoe ad casse The essay Feudalsm ad

Caalsm La merca was orgally publshed New Left Revew, o 6 ad The Secy of he Poca: h PouazasMbad Deba Eoom> a Soy.

975, o. The oher wo essas pp hs oume or hrs me ay I wa o ha hs hose usefu commesad ccsms hae corbued al erso of hedere essays I mus mo amo hs y AdesoRob ackbr Bob Jessop Harod Wope Sam ZuadaErque Tadeer ad Ncos Pouaas. am debed o mysudes a he Uersy of ssex wh wo hse deas weredscussed umeros courses ad sma ad whose oeraos ad esos freuey eable o ambges my argumes ad ed me o forml h oe resely

woud lke o hak Ezabeh Nash o sruuos abour redeg my es rom Spash o sh mos of heages hs book are deb o he w as rlaor Ad mydeees graude mus go o Chaa Yu wh whom I haedscssed ehausly he major par o hs ssays er corbuo o he formulao of som of he al heses hasbee so decse ha some resecs hy may be regarded as a

coaboae eue


11/197

1

Feudalism and Capitalismin Latn Amerca

Debae on he Lef in the ls decade ovr he orgns and pres-

en nure of an Amercan socees has focsed on heproblem of wheher hey shold e seen as feda or capalsn characer A comlex and lenhy dscsson has akenplace whose mporance s no dmnshed b he conceplconfson whch has oen ccopaned Is sgncance,oreover hs no been connd o hy snce deenhoes have led o deren c sons. Those who

mnan ha he an Amercan socs were hsorcallyconsed as fedl n chrc nd hv remned so eversne, wsh o empasze h osed, radonalressan o change and n gd no h marke econom

I hs s he case hen hese socs h v l no y reached

caals sge and ae ndeed, o h v of a ogeos-democc revoon whch w mula cals develop-en and rk wh fedl sno Soclss sholdheefoe seek an alance wh the aoa orgeos andorm a ned fron wh agans he olgarchy and mperalsm The advcaes of he oppos hess clam h nAmerca has e capals from s npon snce wsaready flly ncorpoaed no he worl arke n he colon

al perod. The presen ackwardness o an Amercn socees s precsely he ocome of he dependt characer of hsncororaon an hey are n onsqenc flly capals s herefore meanngless o poslae fre sage of

cas developme s on h conrry necessary ogh drecl for socalsm n opposon o a ogeose has compleel negraed wh mpeals forng a common

fron agans he masses15


12/197

I tis aticl I ope to contit to claicatio o tic t o t pol o pt thr contraictoppnce ot t poto rt it co ci o n

rsct ot sgt ptlis o falspno t sp o comoit xchg ot nt sp octon, ths tasfom t psc orasn o l wih r i to t iv ito ots twn t to fors of soit Sc a cocpo i a l a n to axist to hc atains talsm a apitism a ao , m pu

r G a s o o th stow rs ot ts tt t ca is a alwas has capta s o ti aon t pst s wl cotrat o swor sic t riss th totica iss at ta t t in tr apt n cat or

Fnks otcl cm

as thotica ppti c sm p n tfoo ig thss

It s a s to sppos ht cooic vop t oc rstogh t s am csso o sgs ac c ot or at

t rlop tios to are at a stag wic og ass th op cots O t ota, tos lop pitaist cotis vvop i ti a atog t as t wt lop

It is corrct to cor otpoa nopmnt as a simpl ctio o t ooic potcl t socl strctr of t rlop cont isOn t con tar opmnt is in arg pat t stoc pot of rltons t th op satla t psnt lo otis tos oovr ssnta pt of th strct a votion ot capitist sst o a o cal ra c

I T elp d v xd : n ae f ly' ( ubf h In To D ea Be A e 6

Caias ad ndeopen an ea o 6 i A i R i N Y 969


13/197

eam a Capam a Amea

exta te ts thei a t m te ess ta i te tes Cte a Pa e ae Ce i Rhes Aia te e

Ca the metpi este a t tsee ea e ale sa emi sstes thse sietes te them t the metlta iate e ast sstem a ete tem t ses its metta aptal amat a eemet ees ate these ee tase elyae estalse ses s eas thei eai-

aat sttal ee tieess eeesg mse ss e eeeme

e etal s eta at m-ea stes s e ee st aalss as that eeele set v ste eae hse sets s a a ae iepee e e t les t hh s e tes te aitst l a elateeele e e he set slaeea itist m ta hs tess s e ; tte s is se the h talst sse

the as ees s >v te eetate ee te ms e e-eee

eiset et e

ea teatal e te astte emi sal a e eeetat Ae tes e es it

te t h e te ei es5 te e stis F r s he l

mt theses st t e e-ta etes e t steit t ee heste epes s e the aelte sats te sateies eee eats ee

met tei ssl isi ataist tl e tei ls th e a ees ee

R


14/197

eakeed as as te ase dr te as Dresso ote 7h cetr the aoeo ars at e o9t tr te Deprsso o te 0s a the to WoWars te 0t cr otrast thse plses to eopt r xs heeer te etrootaetrs rore eooma those ros presetost eoe r th ps those ost tt to th etroos te atfa ter the oro atat os or a edas er or a ta ata stomera terprss w teses reated stt

tos e aed tem t reso to ro dea thteatoa a atoa arket expad e arate o ther apta l a aor orr to rease tespl o ther ros e l atua h oa are so ategae ssste artre a apaet sm- a r ot a a s so t ere setors that e ret ao the ad or tr ott or th prot apa

t6 eer das s trode to a arxst aass

t ato s tat das omrss a osrateseto a o ed of soa strtr a atas aam stor t te ot o t. e strae osees are the e ar ot t oreos a te sos

d rst erso o he a s ot es s oe setor of theatoa oo wc s a t a oe ee eaara a erdope as e too o a ame teo reate eeo aae aptast sto t aort o the poato stae aotr stor hsposed eaed as t s ts tratoa araeda dreeoed stat e ota strat sa

assoe th these ata a teoreta erroeoserretatos o deeoet ad dereeoet s orh orgos th desrat o exte oders o tearh stor a orporat t to th or ad atoa art as or t rxts te esat o omt th ptst etrto of te a otrse a s the oreos deocra reo to

Aast ts rak atas tat at era as

4 Op t 2


15/197

euam a Capam Lat Amea

captast sc ts y coloao y Eon pows nt 16 cetry oo s to sho eros eampesta v te most atly mot soat ons o

atn Aeca aca t ea process o commoty ch ae tat s a a to te avanta ote ont mpat ows wol oly b aotto sea o da s cco to Fk, t o be poeth t h ost coomc y ba ckr eons o Ln Aerc acosttt cos vrs c a natal cooyproat G tht o th cotay ty patcpt

a process wos oto oc as thst o chs o thomat csss a pors t s oly ossbl to cocthat w ar t psc o a c aptal st conomc stctece t cooa cot catalsm has ben t bass o so o s eveoment t s teoe ab o poos as a atat o t aac captalst eeoet e atoa boroe

in tose cases w t ets s so necay lk thmpeast syst t plotat metropolt/satt tosp ht pocs s on alc wth ta oly poo ad accnta eeveopmet Teatoaboos as n te ereop cotsmst n coseec be lmnate or a es aevtthr extne n te name o te estec o a al

socety c a s tht Frks thoetc sc oes trps o assrto 1 Lat Amca as a t rom the b 2 a Ama as capals ome e 3 eenet ar o ts sron to thets o aet s t case o ts ement h re e ssetos c a to r a snl roces e tc al

eea ape

o th 6t to e th cetry ana ly n trn a c o e se aspcts

The Critique of Dualst Cncepio

Fas ccsm o te dst ess a hs coseet istence tat Lat Acan socets ha aways cost

e a co taly stctre y a ly tatto aket ecnoy nspty coc a co


16/197

20

ecto Hr Fank has develped e cumulive cque f ul whh ve s s celebed uln n ewk of W. A Lews.: Accdng ews, wh expessed s fu n numeus pl sdes by scss pevus decde ws eess ds cfully eween e 'cps sec nd e sussn ; he cny The le ws pese sly sgn nd ne e e cpl nd e f gw All ens beween e w weeu h pvs by he bcwd sec uled

supply lbu e dvnced sec. I s bee nw edy swn h s del undeeses he degee fclz wc s ssle n ul es s well se degee f ccuuln pesn eepses It eme gely ve-spes nd dss e elns wches ewen e w secs e eny wc pesuppses A e eed knwledg e ecnnecns

beween e dee secs f e n Aecn ecneskes e dus ess d n nge enble n s nlun.

Mee he cncee cse L ec evdene cumued ve ecen yes hs cpey dened e de pe ul ey s be fud n

e ul es f he cn O e cny eveyngppes sugges ht ev e s bckwd pesn es e bun by n eds (whch hve n ye beendue suded) the dyn secr f e ecy d hg e wd ke AlejndMqn n excelen 6 s d egnl sudy hs sse f elns Rd Svengen nyzg he

y e Chps nd Gel egs s swnw eenc elns seve s e ss f css els pesely wdesped ncp n e m

W \ I'wis. . bconom devlopmet h Um Su of aor. S My 1954 p 39-9, dm Theory f Ecnmi d 1 mm h m Lw md h

aud can he W K An n f t Fudal8st,oo NB, f, p - Cf o P T Buer 'ewiss To o EooGt mc gl Rv XLVI, 96 :2

Aj


17/197

euam ad Capta m atn mea 2

t Moov i Lati Amia uig t ooia oo ot as a as o os oom ato o omoit vai t ais o i

miig gios, i agia o s oga os o ostio ot t Sou o t oit o am , ta uu a t ou mo ao U Pu a t Poo h C a taom ito a at o t gta tioovid aau goo o s a uu It ad o o gio a saato as a u

oom ia o a so t it ua stts h as a og taio

Lati mia a iita ormuat t 9t t y iba it itrat outi ito o mat as ima o tus aommotigt to a tatoa diviso o abo tatd y

mooia imiast ot oma iaoo babam oi by Samto m oo tis os It ws ss us v m o isr atio o tos rio go o ti i oomis dstgt d o omtioo uoa omodi o o ba o-a at mtoog ao to vyg ooia as itd stao a a ts Eoai os i t s a o t soa ati ois b o o oiy bamosb

T oogia aiio as to o a a mdmto y aq utaig o o av

od Lati ia sois a o a a ta b tiy sur v o go ast o ov by soa ooi a atoooiasigaio or o ostt t d as oommiaato b aa o oomios ik o a a oouus o om i os a s oo oi go i to o da

7 Rodolfo Stavenhagen, 'Cases cooiasmos acurao. Eyo n sisea de eacoes ine eca e Msoaea A 6 4 O b D b 963 3


18/197

22

s t o oo i Lti B w c s so sstio tt ts ?

h hti Mitk i Fak' Cncpti

It. t s ts qusto si, toug isw dt to t sis o tis t o

ai t wt h s b w g o otu titio i is ok s

h ssios s th oowi g :tisms ssti it otditio w t

otig d t poitd s witi tios o ss tw t m

But tis dos ot tk us v , s i ot o a it ism,but udis idd v ss soity s b

izd t otdito w o its d o it pobm is to d i s t sii o t poittiv tiosi i qstio s o igou dtiig t ojt o his sis is, moov o op o t o p u ii so om wi k swo sus imrisio tt i s t o sious i ttists soud b w w o t siv dbts tht

v oud ov t opt o itism, t wi o s t o gtd

I tss ty t i wt udsts btis, tk w oud tt it is ot ooig: a) syst o poduto o t t i b ) ot o stiuts t otiv o odutio, d ) tisot is izd o bt o soo oth t a t dpu wo is ty isossssd o it O t oth d s w soud udstd os o sbsstmy st o substti t to ostuts t si d ir btw t o

s suisg ig s tat ra tota sss

Ulopmt o Revolutio p 7


19/197

Feudalism and Capitalism in Lain America 23

with elations of podution in hs denitons of capitaism

ad feudaism. I the ight of this, his earier characterzatio

of the relatioshp betwee exploters and exploited as the

fudametal cotradtio of aptalism ceases to e so puzling For ee Frank's ideologial perspetive obiges

hm delierately to omit the reatons o produtio fom hisdeito of apitalism: oly by abstatig them an he arive

at a sely wide otio of apitalism to nude the dieent exploitatve situatios suered by he indigeous Peuvian

peasany the Chilea inquilinos, the Euadoan huas-pungueos the saves of the West ndian suga platatios o

textle workers i Manheste For all hese det podues

assg hei pode to he market; hy wor fo the benet f

othes ad they are depved of the eonomi surplus whih

they help to eate n all these ases the fudmntal eonocotaditio is that whh opposes the eploies to the ex

ploted The oly toube is tha he lis s t shot fo t coualso have lded the save on a Roma atfudum o the

gle sef o the ropean Mdde Aes n hose ases

the ovewhelmng majorty - whe snd at fthe eonomi supus extated m t se hee

foe we ould onlude tha o h noth uin n

wads thee has neer ee anhn hu imOf cose ank is a ibety to ahsra m hsoa

featues ad build a model on hai. He can ve if he

wshes give the esultng entiy tIl' nm f apialism

hough w ano see muh point in ing, dsiate such avaiet of eatons wods whih a my empoed adieent sense. Bu wha is why ae is he at

tha an ams tha his coneptn s h ast nept ofaptalsm Beause for Max as i obvou t anyone wh has

een a supeal aquaintane wi i wor apiaism was

a mode of produton. The fundamental onom relationshp

of apiaism is nstitted by the free laoures sale of hislaborpowe whose eessay peonditn is he lss hy he

diet produe of owneshp of the means of prodio earlie soees the dominant asses exploted he dir

prdcers tha is expopaed the eonomi suplus they

creaed ad eve omeialied par of his surpus o te


20/197

2

comerial er s ot apam Matsn h in o aou a s f owig 4uoain Capa as ts a

wi soa oo lxiIH(


21/197

Feudalism and Captalsm n Latn Amerca 2

Franks clm tht his conception of cpitalsm is heMarxist one seems to be bsed on nothng more thn hs desirefor this to be the case But before eving this pont let us retun

agn to the texts because in a polemc tht occurred n Me-co nd s reeced in hs second volume he ws ccused resely of gnoring the mode of production n hs dention ocapitlsm Fn repled with two quotations from arwhich, he claimed roved hs cse The rst quottion Sken from the Hsoy of Eonom Dorns nd rms:

In the second class of coonies the plantatons, whchre from the moment of their nceptions commerci specion entres of production for the worl maret regime ofcptalist roduction exsts, f ony in forml wy, snce slvery among the negroes excudes free wgeabor which s thbse on which capitalst roducton rests However, those whodeal n savetrading re cpitists. The system of produton

introduced by hem does not originate in savery but wsntroduced into i n ths cse the citst nd the anore one person '

Acording to Fran this ph os tht for Mr itis not the relations of produton tht ene the natue o aneconomy a lest I deduce s much snce t s hs answer to

Rodolfo Puiggross qston s to wh hened inside col-onies such as z and tose in th Cbn tht is wherthe mode of savehodn revad In relity, the quot-tion proves exacty the revese o wh Frnk ntends, sincewhat Marx says is that n the pnon cones the dominant mode of production is only formaly itlistt is formlly

cpitist becuse its beneciaies participate in a wordare n which the dominant pod uctiv sectors are readyctalist This enaes the landowners n the plantatonconomy to partcpte in the general movement of the cst system wthou, however their mode of rodction encapitst Bt wh is the ssenti condition for sch tuion is ts excpiona chracte thn this wil be v

cer f we compe the paragraph quoted y Frn wit an-other pssage by Marx from P-aals Fomaos:

. However ths rro s certainy no greater than tha of


22/197

2

e oo st wo se of te exstence of capita n ty o Romn o ree ctsts Ts sW"y wy o yn t n Rome nd Geece bouw / ssrn wc tese enem wou rdy

m:lk(,. w( ntton wners n Ac ctstsf wv 0( tss tis s due to e fct tt ty xs s( wt a word ret bed uon re b 2

D


23/197

euasm an aptasm n atn Ameca 2

in a feudal ocety were unale overcomeTher inadapt

aiiy ntened 3

Frank, on the contrary mantan that European epanon

wa thoroughly capitalit from the 6th century onwad Hecorooate hi aerton with a econd quotaton from Marxin whch the atte declae: 'The modern hitory ofcaptalsmegin with the creatio in the 16th century of word tadeand a world maket But thi time Frank happen to havetanred the quotation adly. n the orgnal, Ma, n fact

declae ha The modern hitory of capal date from theceaton n the 6th centry of a woldemracing ommeceand a wordemracng market . .' 14

Gven the dtnction emphazed aoe etween capalad capasm - which pemit the coetence of commerciacapital wth earlier mode of producton the meanng of thipaage i toay derent. Marx ony ay that he enlargement of the world market dung the t ntury, oughtaout y oeea expanion cretd te ondition and thegloa famework in whih h mod epaion of captalould take place. e take for rantd t anteror form ofcaptal eied e.g in the Midde Ag or in Antquity Bute y no mean pea o capitaim

The error of Fran onepton a e en from the factthat he a dened capitaim ooy tat he nallegtimatey to derive any concrete oneunce fro t aoutanythingThi of coue not h own elie he condentthat he can demontrate on t grond the relevance of theourgeoidemocratic tage in Latn Aerca et u conidethi deotraton Frank ac aertion that ince thetak of he ogeoidemocratic eouton i to detroyfeudalm wherea apitalim ha alway exted in LatinAmerca ab no, the ourgeo demorati evolion diappear from the revoltionay caendar and i repaced y adict truggle or oalm

But Fran ha again confued the term of the prolem For

when Marxi pea of a democratic reoution weepng

Il E J Hobbm 'Th Crss o 7 nuy P no G, M 95 p. 4


24/197

2

w o f(uais, udstd y udissmtn d"t fro F tm udis s m md ye w mat s av trd b gr tai iswh Ol asig gd t s Hrp. n tig t ss it!rI1Lol w ua asss d t t iis Tis s s wat t Frvoi 79 ustd y udsm w tyo w usig it y isig t aee

uia ivigs sks t gwigw aitaism i t gai tutu Russia eme Cap a m ua is i s t mt gwig ss ss ditiati wi was duig s i ts , t d giutu tiat , t t wud t avu i t as i stati ts s agssv asi dui t akt, sui ad peey md t su udis Russi sva tuis , w gwig tutis id wt dui d d t adwst as dd s ta is t s s t Bsviks aitid tt t ask t Russ

Rvut w ugisdmat, ty at tat itwu iiat t vstigs u sm d t d tait ist asi i 1905 y Tt ad Pvus gasdat ussi iti d ssi t i uguati tt tasit t sias Gv t iiity tgisi t y tug its dati tss ad t

ui wakss t tait, ty iagi tat tst wu a v t ay a dis iv i t i w d w F su a sttgy it was ui a t t m ud t svd by t stig gi wis Tsim ud v ui t i ts w a t ai t vuti wud v std e eSoyi t Tsist Mist w us vy vi

g a stg ss sat ts co u wa k ti smwat si a t t ty m N I t Gu udstt w Bsviks T ag is y was


25/197

Feudalsm ad Capalsm La Amerca 29

early perceived by Lenin when he wrote in 1908:

' .. The Stoypin Consttuion and he Stoypn agraan

pocy mark a new phase n he breakdown of the od, semipatiarcha and semi-feda system of Tsaism a new move

men owards its tansfomation into a middecass monarchy

f his shd continue for ery ong periods of time ..it

gt foce us to enounce any agarian programme a a I

oud be epy and stupd dmocrac phasemongeing to say

tat te success of such a poicy n Rssa is impossibe.t s

possib! f te Stoypin pocy s contined .then the agraran structur of ussia wi become compeey bourgois tetronger peasants w acquie amost a te aomens of and

agricutue become capitastic and any souon of the ag

aran probem radca o otherwise w become impossbe

unde capitaism 'This passage impidy states te condiions n wich

Lenin considered captaist deeopment coud emove te

bogeoisdemocratic stage from te agenda of te evoutionexacty te probem wt wc Frank is grapping. Tese

condtons wee te emegence of a ston kuak cass at one

exeme and te gowt of a rua poetara on te othe.

anks dena of te possibty of a bogeosdemocat

evoton in atin Ameca in eect ony amounts to tise takes a poitca scema based on an anayss of socia

reatiosips espectvey designated feudaism and capitaism

e modes te content of these concepts in midsteam ad

en concdes tat te poitica scema is fase becase t

does not coespond to eatyThere is no need to nsst on te

adty of ts type of easonng (et me add that am in no

way concened ee to assess te possibity or mpossibityof a bogeosdemocratic stage the aous counties of

atn Ameica. ae imted mysef to pointing ot te

mpossibiity o fomuating any pognosis on this queston on

e basis of anks anayss.)

utemoe f we took ranks dentions o capitaism

nd fedaism itera we woud aet

deve muc moeom em tan Fank caims n fact if capitasm ad aeady

ecome genea n te metropoitan contes by he 16th

ntuy and t is not cear wy e stops tere wen trade and


26/197

30

a market econoy preae rom muc earer tme we

wou ae to onc tat Ezabetan nglan or Rena

ance rance were p o ocam ometng I o not tn

een ran wou be prepare to ugget

we now onont rank armaton tat te ocoecono copxe o Latn Amerca ae been aptat

nce t onquet Pero bearng n mn tat capta

an euam are moe o proucon n te Mart ene ote term ) wt te curreny aaabe eprcal enc we

ut conclue tat te capat e neenbe n

reon w ene ngenou popuaton Meo PeruBova or Guatemaa te rect proucer were not epoe

o ter ownerp o te mean o proucton we etra

economc coercon to mamze arou ytem o abor er

vce n wc t mpobe not t ee te equaent o teEuropean crve - wa progreey ntene n te panta

ton o te Wet ne te economy wa bae on a moe o

proucton conttute by ae abou we n e mnngarea ere eeope gue orm o aery an oer

type o orce abour wc bore no e gtet reembance

to te ormaton o a captat proetarat Ony in te pampa

o Argentna in Uruguay an n oer imiar ma areawere no ngenou popuaton a preiouy ete or

were a been very carce an wa rapy wpe out

etement aume captat orm rom te begnnng

wic were ten accentuate by e mave imgraton o

te century But ee regon were ery remote rom teomnant patern n Latn America an were more akn to

te new ttement in temperate one ke Autraia an New

Zeaan

N ow precapitat caracter o e omnant reatono proucon n Latn Ameca wa not on not incopatbe

wt proucton or te wor market but wa actuay nten

e y te epanon o e atter. e eal regime o teaciena tene to inceae t erie eacon on te pe

antry a e growing eman o te wor market tmuate

amizaton o teir urpu u ar rom epanon o t

eterna marke actng a integrang orce on eua ,it eect wa rate to accentuate an conoate t Let u

tae an eampe rom rank anai e eouton o in-


27/197

Feam a Cap a m La A mea

quaje a o o leaehold) Chile Dig the 7th et the teat otaied leae o h ad i lie of a i pamet t ti paet ega to aie eoi

iae ad t wegh ee oe heal the peaathdig a wh eat expot to Pe dee oped ol og the eathqae of 688 he 9th et ite a aggaato oh pe, detemie et aga the eaed eealepot the lao eated a ote eqaet t tha apeaet oke whle the taditial h o te peaatee iltaeol eded, epeiall igt t aaje

o patage The oe wae he ow aed wa lwe thathat a da laoe o a oema It wold e a itaeto ee i thi pe he eege a a poletaa Ih had ee e ae the wage ol h ae eoe the apat the q ea o itee t all the igho that, the ota, the wage a eel oe

odiate eleet i a tee eo ae o adtea hat i t a, we ae faed wth a peaat eteo eile ligati ad ot with a agiltal aeeae h ompete h ioe with ta piileg a piee o la d

; In an npblse note ta h auho has i m n are Aier pote ot t at on h

t jn

ere te formal eemets o era ec onomi o h econoic an molimo olitic o h y ave evertheess been transfore the x h the esnts ug is n n istrmet en an not n l hu notes in real ro h er or el oy ent H e m o iacquerie is o tro o te os t to say recor u ssesion of ten to ge ri ofte oigaion o ay ret a s su chne the olit


28/197

32

This stuaton - wth sme varatns was repeated mnously thughut he Cntnent. Thus Lat Amerca wasnot an exceptn t he pcess by whch heavy setted magna egns expeenced a strengthenng of serve eatonso ncease poducn r externa markets. hs s wha Eastern Eupe pgessvey expeenced frm the 16h centuryonwards, when a substanta gwth n he expt of pmayproducts t the West became psse hs pocess was thebass f he eedazaton of perphera aras te 'secondsrvtude whch Enges speas. No dut rm he end f

he 9h cnty hese condns wee graduay moded nan Amerca wh the pogressve grwth o a ua peaat I s dc o say how a peasan pretaanatnhas eached n deen areas today snce we ack sucensudes t ut thee s no dub that te prcess s verya m eng cncuded and semeda cndns ae stwdey chaactestc o he Lan Amecan cuntrysde. here

s no need whatever draw duas perspecves m hs postn ecase we have aeady seen tha he bass o he moden expandng secto was povded by ncased serve expoatn n he backward sectr

We nw each the pnt where te fundamenta munde

sandng n ths pemc ests; to arm the feudal chaacte of

reations of production in the agraran sector does nt neces-sariy invove maintaining a duaist thesis. Duasm mpeshat n connectns exst betwe he mdern or prgessvesecr and he osed tadna secto Yet we haearged tha n he cntay seve epaton was accentaed and cnsdated y he very endency entepreneus

pesmay mden n ype o maxme pots the apparen t

ack f communcaton between he w secs heewth

an tha erefe f a poa and no a B si iowas fequn one ng e Europen :iddle Ages ods -g olaon, nab ods o nsfy svis du o tem.On nd ods of dni oon - s a w foo Back De n h 14h ny - nab he eans o mve heirnegoag oon vs a v h od. T suo e b MazA ony exiss wen n as m one obe e of moym longd o In nno ak o a dsc ai on h a' n h d ouc of moymen and a nd ef.


29/197

Feudam ad apta m Lat A mea

dsappeas In su ases we an am that he modeny oone seo s a union f the bakwadness the ote ada theefe no poly s evlonay whih poses as th

eig of e mdenizing se It s on e nayoe to non he ssem as a wle and o sw endissuble unity hat exists beween e maneae ofeuda bakwadness a one exeme a nd the a ppaet pgess a bug es dynamism at te the I beie ve t at n ts waye an eeive ly demonstate n geeen wi n adevepmen es geneae ndedevelopent exep ta we

base ou eason ing n eat ns o pdutn a nd not ny ose o he make ank an nevteless ague ha edefendes o e feudal thess oius y e Latn A meanCommns Pates have pheld das posos ee sundubtedly h tut is in thei epetaion oe nae o the Lain Amen eooes he edass

ve epoyed deniions f eudasm and apitlsm similao anks on It wold take oo on g o exp lain the easosf s defomaon n o but I be l eve the an be summed pin hs fa: saly he La Amean let emeged as e l et ing f lbe ali sm a d i s deolgy w as oespondinglyeemned by te bsc cteoes the ibeal les o eh en wi we hve aleay oined Dualism was

an essenia l ele men n hi s sysem ate gies o hi ssoe ee deved a osan edey o identiy fedalsmwt sagaion ad losed eonmy and apasm wthynamsm and pogess his ypial demain Maxsten geeated its dia eta omp lemen te d a metiaypposte postion hat has emeged duing the ast deadeSne knowledge f histial and pesen eality made ineasingly eviden ha he Latn Amein enoies adaay been ak e eonomies a nd s ine te politial fal ue efmst and alleedly pogessve elites in Lain Ameaevealed eve moe lealy e iniae inteonnetions between moden and adna seto new sool nded ha Lain Amea ad alwas been aitalis a

and ose wo thn like hm ad thee ae a aept theems the diemma as the Latin Amean Ps and 19en libeals ave posed em b e plae themsevesat e opposie exee ey hs undobedly bea wi


30/197

dalism - and their pot of vew s terefoe elatively moe

corect - but y trying to stuate the fundamental contradtonn the eld of cculaton rather than produton the an go no

more than ha-way towards an explanaton of why deveopment

generates underdeeoment. Ths becomes vey cear once wemov on to analyze Frank's thd type of asseton, to whcwe hav prevousy refered: those according to wch e

oriis of derdevelopment e n the dependent chaacte ofLan Amercan economc nserton no the word market.

But befoe dealng wt tis pont it s necessary o ntrodce

a greater degee of precson nto te analytic categores we

wl se b dstngshin n partclar between modes ofprodction and economc systems

Modes of Production and Economic Systems6

We ndestand by mode of poduction an ntegrated compex

of soca podctve forces and reatons lnked to a deteminate type of ownershp of he means of prodcto I 7 omamon te ensemble of reatons of prodcon we conside

tose lnkd o te ownershp of the means of podction o bethe essetal reatons snce ey deermne t forms of

canazaton of te economc srpls and te eecve degreeof the dvson of labor te basis n trn of te specc capa

ciy of te podctve forces for epanson Ther own level adrhythm of gowt depends trn on te destnaton of the

economc srpls We terefore desgnate as a mode of podc

tion te logcal and mtaly coordnated artclaon of1. a determnate type of ownersp of te means of prodction;2 a detemnate form of appropaton of the economc spls3 a determinate degree of development o te d vson of ab

or 4 a detemnate level of deveopment o the prodcvefoces Ths s not meely a descrptve enmeraton o ioated

factors bt a totalty dened by its mta neonnectonsWthn s totaty propert n te meas of prodcton constittes te decsve element

An economc sstem' on te other hand desgnates he

10 What folws is reum of rgmen dvcd y y abov ( fe )

1 Osenr L. Ecmi Pliti, R, 96


31/197

Feuam a Captam Lat A mea

mutua eatins betwee te dieent s etos f te enmy, between dieent pdutive uits wete on a egional,natinal wod sale Wen, i Vume One f CataMax anayed te poess f pdution of supus value andte umulatin f apita he desibed te atat me put On te te ad, we e anayes te inteage between epatmet One and Depatment Tw andntdues pobems su as et o the igin f meiapt e is desibing an eom sstem n enmisyste an inude as onstituti ve el emen ts dieet mdes f

podutin pvided aways tat we de ne it as a we, tatis by peeding fom te ement o aw f mtin tat estabishes te unity f its dieet maiestatis

e feudal mde f podutin is ne n wi te pdutivepess opeates adig te fowig patten: teeonmi supus is pdued, b a ao oe suet tenmi mpusion; te em supls s ivatelyapppiated by smene te tan t iet ode 3ppety i te means pdutin emas n te ands te diet pdue. n te apitaist md o oduti teenomi supus is as sujet to pvate apopiatn butas distint m feudaism ownesi te means p-duti is seveed fm wnesp of labow it is tat

whih peits the tansfomati o la bouowe to a ommdity and wit this te it f te wageeati eleve tis pssible within tis teetal faewok to state thepem of depedene at te ev el f elat os of dtin

Th Stgs of pdn

ank ees toughout is ws to t latn dependene between satelite and metplis ided tis s te aisang wi is theetia sema s aned Nevete esstoghut s witings tee is n attempt wateve t deete natue f this e ltinsip f dependene tat is t s ituatete spei eomi ontaditins n w te e latioship

f depedene inges. ank desbes fo us a stuat inwhi te undedeveped unty is tta tegated into teexpansive pesses f te geat metpolta unties heten sws us h te advaned uties have expted te


32/197

36

priphra conti; what h at no i plan i whytain nation ndd t nddvlopmnt of othr naionfor thir ow pro o xpanon Th mot provd ont pont i a va nra rfrnc Pa Baran' TePotical Economy of Grow. Bt a w now Baran da wtha vy pcic iation of nddvlopmnt wch w cannoxtapoat into th pat and whic i bomn contatly lappabl toda to contmporay Latin Amrica O doFrak bliv that Baran modl appcabl to otri a Arntina Brazl or Mxico th th mot mpoant

ara o nvtmnt n t continnt atr Vnla or orthAmrican impriaim

t i not vry dct to nd th raon or h notab apin Fran thortial hma For hi noton o capiam o wid that, ivn t lv o abracton on wih h ovh annot dn any otradiction tha ar pcic to ICort, Pzarro Cliv and Cil Rhod ar al on and tham, th i no way of traci t natr and oriin oconomc dpndn in rlation o prodtion o th othrhand, w ca rard capitalm a a D Macwho omnprn fr om a xplanaoy roblmand try intad to trac h oriin o dndnc n cotmod to prodction th rt tp w mt ta i to r-

onc all tal o a in niq ontadicton Bcarationhip o dpndn hav alway xtd o hmarin of t itnc o capitalim

Drin th iddl A or xamp adc i itoriorapc di hav mad t a tat ;m a cnxitd bwn Wr rop and t t dt

ranan Ator wor on pri in v Syra in particar how that attr wr taty hil prc inWtrn rop ocain wit on tndc ori Th jctr pod a nn o aorption ocoomc rpu o t Wt om ratr pip>y S oo !d man tconat aboton y on ro o oomc rp o

aohr io w cator mdal tad btwnat ad Wt a a raion o dpdc ba t di-parity in pr th bai o any comma at wa awa t advanta o on a th hr Yt


33/197

Fudas and Captas La Amrica 3

y wch eaty stated te accaton o co ata n the eat oean ctes by no eans d te eneazaton o wae eatonshs n the shee o

dton. On the ontay t oesonded to a eda eson n wh sele tes wee ey oten enoced toxze the ss. Was not the Eoean eanson o theeatls eoch ehas an etenson o ths oess on aod sale? Thoh ts onooly ostons etootanoe ed the ce o oodtes n ts oeseas ees t the a o sen a eanent dsaty n ts ao

e by eans o etaeonoc oeon t eloted labo-we n the nes and lantaton systes. oano ass:Can the oble o dsaty o es obseed etween dent eons o the ea East nd an eanato an attetednaton n the o the exae o Sansh Aeaht not these zones o lowe e leels be te ate o sb-

oones s as ae so oten ond n the Sansh Ee nea o eale Che and Pe wee both oloes oan, yet the st was aso the sbolony o te second?

.' 8 It s ths ossble to see how the deeloent o teonant eono stte o the etooltan ontes n eantlst eo od eneate ndedeeont en the eonoc sls o he eeal ontes and

n te elatons o odton n an aha old o(aeonoc oeon whh etaded any oess o soalenaon and dnshed he sze o the ntenalkts

hs tye o deedent eatons neveteless eyI eent o that whh was to edonate n te sealy

ast eoh o Eoean eanson Fo ts s wee thea obe ases ease we want to show hat n ths/ oo deeoent eneates dedeveoent what wev to oe s that the anenane o eatalst eaons0 odcton n e eheal aeas s an nheent ondon oess o alaton n th enta contes. At thsp we ente etoy whee nonaey ea n

on s too nadeae to et o eahn any

! R s au Moyen Ag: Ph O (k h ti ' C j l t 1963 9 7


34/197

38

detve ccluso 19 evertheless I eeve we ca legti-matey rmulate a theretcal model which estalshes thevaraes at play ad the form of ther artculatio to whch theavaae evdece poits Ths theoretica mdel ca b sum-

mared i the folwig terms. The procss of apita accumuato whch is the fudameta motor force of the esemleof he capitast system depeds o the rate of prot. Now therate pt is its tu determed y the rate of surpusvaue ad the orgac cmposit of capta. A rse i theorgaic cmposito of capital is a coditi for capitalist

epasio sce techlogca progress is what permts theecstituti of the reserve army of laour ad the maiteace f a low leve of wages. But uless a rise i the orgaiccomposti of captal is ed to a more tha proprtoaicrease i te rate f surplus value t will ecessarly prduce a delie the rate of prt This tedecy is partallycmpesated y capital movemets from dustres wth a hgh

orgaic compositi thse with a ow orgaic compstorom hs there emerges a average rate of prot which s aways higher i vaue terms tha the correspdg rate ofpr i the echlogcay more advaced dustres. Never-theless sice a growg augmeaio i the orgac composito of the tota capita s heret captalis epas

the og te there ca oy e a permaet edecy fr therate f prt o decie. These are of course he erms of hefamos aw formuaed y Marx

I wi e see ha i hs schema whch decries peseyeugh the domat tedeces at work in a ree cmpeitvecaptalism what seems o e key a ssaed process faccumuaio i the expas i ay sectr o he system, of

productve uits whch eher low ecology or uperepoiato laour makes poe o couterac the depressve eect o the rate of pr of th creasig rgaccompsto of capia he dyamc or advaced dustrisNow the eterpris of he perphera aras are i a ideaposo play hs roe. et us ake he exampe f patats

,


35/197

edalism and ai ta lism in atin Amera

or eds ese he org omposo of p isw2 s s ays h s i e prodo of prmrpods s gs idsr op; h or for s i

ger sjeed e forms of exroomi oerioarters of e fed or sve mods of prodio;y, o e xe free aor exsts i s geerysperd d refore eap2 f it od e eprovd ivsm tese seors p yd mport roe i deermg te r of prot od fo ow te expsio of idsr piism i he meropo

ores eessry depded o he maae of prepis modes of prodo i te periper ares oweer i is is poi h videe so far aie eomes sggesie o osive f is tesis wre estl ised wod e poss e y sri sy from reaos ofpodo o sow t deeo pmet eneates derdeveop

m o refe from a rxs pespetive he trdiio Unr ua s th w ersh te b te et

ucr s an bs acl ch nca l gess t te tn en c h sla v str h ac t b s vs cnstat ca a ee Marx , pt v w svera exalesre t an Manu Mrn Fraga El L b, 1964

1 ranc f th s ac was a ea b w evertheess nt analz ts rlatv wgt the t av ate rtter quest n rall te s ss ecause sea natur s h s Is h g era at te ate ruc b capta nvest ta caa?

tal nv es regn tra ca , eause the rst plac, re s ct uc n ertrs wh fr uctn ac l t s t e a ace c untr s ts gs c hear a n he cpt g u t [n s a as the abu

e re avac cuntr s hr ralze b a hger secceght a f r r ss b ecause a w s t e n a eng a gher qu a s sl as such sa a a reat he cu whch s ar xrt an at wc tes p al, laer a e ataz abur n knd an t recvs an t here rcv ctes ceae tha t uuce h e us as a an uacurer w e ls a ew ntn re t cs gnral us uns ls hs c et ts a et se s s c t s n v ua l valu ha s, ra lzes e specca ghr ru t ve

h aur pls surus labu e hus securs a suus As cncer s c apta n vs n c s, tc th ter han, the el hgr rats rt r th se eas tat th rat s tr u acwar vlt an lews h extat u ecaus he us f slavs, cls tc pt vl I II , p 22 3


36/197

0

dualist schemaRetunng then to ou pevious termnology, we can am

that the world captalist system whch nds ts regulatingprnciple in the average ra of prot produced by the nte

action between deent enteprises - ncluds at the level ofits denitio, vaious modes of poducton o if ou peviouslne of argument s correct, the gowth o the system dependson the accumulaton of capital the rhythm of this aumulation depends on the average ate of pot and the level o thisrate depends n ts turn on the consoidaton and expanson ofpecapitalist elatonshps n the peripheal areas. The geataw n pure underonsumptionst theoies s that tey nterpret external expanson as a esponse to the pressue or markets; they thereby overook the decsive fact that colonialexplotation by helpng to rase the average rate o protensures the system's capacty o expansion not only at themoment oreaizato but aso at the moment o esmet.

This s as ar as we a go by purely theoretical argumentThe above assertions are subject to two series o empcalvecations. t wl be necessary to demonstrate: 1) that dungthe 19th century the growth n the organc compostion ocapital was n act more rapd than the growth in the poductvity of labour 2) that the capita nvested in perpheraountries played an mportant roe in the mantenance o an

adequate rate o prot n the metropoitan countes. Onlyemprical nvestigation can prove that both these condtosexisted in ealty.

On the other hand, these condtons dd exist n th pastthere s no doubt that they no longer apply today e normous ncrease n the productvty of abou n the prsnt stag

of monopoly captalsm - reated technoogcal changs -has tended to make precaptalist supexpotaton of laboupower antieconomc, and concentrate investment in thecentra countes At the same time atin Amerca s a cleaexample o ths - imperiast nvestment has tended shitrom i tradtona pattens nto the poduction o eithe

Se for xampl, th discuon ad by Ces Btt n pac o he Feh edton o Ba ra d Swz' My (Paris,1968) ad b Pir Je L'mrm 97 (Pi, 970.


37/197

Feudais ad Capias i La Aeica

trategic materia - the tpca cae i oi - or nto indutriaotpt he nature o the relationhip between metropoliand atellite to ue Frank terminoog no le one o

dependence but it operate in each cae a a er dtict tpeo dependence t eem me more ueul to underline theedierence and dcontinuite than attempt to how thecontinuit and identt of the roce, rom Hernan Corte toGeneral Motor.

Returning, then, to the debat oer eudaim capitalimI ti it hold b now be clear that t protagoni hae con

tant confued the two concept o the catais ode ofroducio and paicpaio a wor capiais ecooicyste. conider that the ditncton between thee concept not a prel academic matter ince i the oreoing argment i correct, t enabe u to cai mpotnt apect ote enembe o relationhip between metropoi and ateite

On the other hand, equate the two can on perpetat theiundertanding that haunt Frank ontion thedebate he na comment on the tradtiona o o poleic can perhap bet be le arx hm n a cbatedeection on the economt o h da t a pasge tatha till not ot t eleance:

he rt theoretica treatment o t o ode o pocton the mercantile tem p nari roe upercia phenomena o n a indiidualzed n the moement o merhan apta and theeore raped onl the appearance o tt Partl becaueerchant captal i the t ree tat o xitence o captalin general And partl becaue o the owheming inuence

hich it exerte durng the rt eoltionzing period oudal poduction the gene o modn production. he reaence of modern econom on begin< when te theoetcalali pae fom the proce o cirtion te proce ooduction . '.23

, \ Ct vol 31


38/197

42

Postscript

Ts essay was rnaly pubsed sx years ag and gainedsme cnsderabe nuence t was widey cmmented upn

bt n England and n Latn Amerca and gave rse t smemprtant debates It s ncuded in ts vlume despte tefact tat te ntn f mde f prductn wc t emplysnw seems t me nadequate ecause I tnk tat its asctess remans crrect and because crcuatnst psitinatug n retreat, cntinue e an mptant surce f

ers witn Marxist tey n tis rie pstscript wuldlke t pesent te fllwing tesis tat Marst thugt nLatn Amerca as fund cnsderable dicuty n mvngiulaneou at te eve mode o poduton and at tat feonomic em and tat mst fequent mistakes dervefrm a unatera use f ne r ter f te tw leves.

My essay ad a dua nenn 1 It sugt ty and separ

ate he oncept f mde prductn frm any strcal cnntatn, tat s t say fm any i wt a necessay stagef develpment Mde f pductn s an abstract cnceptand nt a stage cncete istrca devepment Tere s,terefre n strica transfrmatn tat can be eplanedexlue y unfding te ntern gc f determnate

mde f prductn 2 It sugt cnceve cncrete ecnmes as systems reatns cnsttuted y te artcuatn fderent mdes f prductin Hence I put frward te dstnctin etween mdes f prductn' and ecnmc systems,wc I ntnue tnk rect and necessary Any avancetwads te cncrete nvves a pgressive anaytical transtn frm mdes prductn ecnmc systems Ovusly

ts stl emans an astract anaysis te na step tecncrete wud need te ecnmc system t e situated nrelatn te ptia and degcal leves wc caracterze any determnate scial frmatn n any case remanng n te strctly ecnmc pane t s clea tat te mrecncete te anayss, te rade and mre cmplex wl e

te sysem f relatins be anayzed. It is bvus tat tedmensns f tis system, cnceved as a ttality ave tendedt e dentied frm te 16t centuy nwads wit te wrldmarket. wat eent was ts wrd ecnmi system cp


39/197

Feda lism ad ialism i ai A meria

ais s we ave aged he wod eooi sysem isapias e e xet a e aw o f oio of e apa lis mode of podio hat is o sa y he a ios i the ate

of po (whi is a sity apiais aegoy v sie pespposes he existee of fee abou as oe obe e law of moio wi aiaes e sysem as a whole is is ha peis he oexis ene of va ios oap iaismodes of poduio be aiaed wii e wod apiais syse s we ave aged the sa ageswhi e apias ode of podio s expeieed ieooia oies a i ma ases oibue t asegeig of exaeoomi expoiaio of abo peipea aeas Te oep of wold apiais syse iseefoe e eaes appoxiaion o te oee wih aeey eooi aaysis peis ad if wa we ave asseed i ts essy is oe ano derved fom te

oe of apas ode of podion bu ms n-sred by sa ig fom a eoe a sd ssle ailaos of e diee odes of pod aalysis ofese is s a peodiio of a heria of he woldapia l s syse y di een o e oed eodte epiiodesipive s tage .

good exampe ofhe theoeia hh n ge

os epiis eads soa scinc cn b fod in he

Nte tha t s t sse t v pbl"m y saying tha r a caa aegr e re in n ()'i. urus asses has hr tha r ue e eeh et rt these ter, we r rrr oe eer atat rt he sec a v ee te

ater e e a ex rel a t s ata t whch y ars s a br oe as e e acty that t sa wth ata o seag he aa ym s t threre tt e e ue hetene a hm nm u axz eet use ay scce ru reatns ut hat he aw e rat rnv a a aa agy etee e a te wese ruate he re thu crs w e argu esa y hat sa the ee t see the wr a ta se as a atu a

ueru e c c u ts w ch rue e as var us ruc an whs uty s rve e ees e ra r We are ere wth the e he aer ee aeera ategr etre hage that ser he se whchte catal e ruct reates


40/197

w wellkn wk mmaue Wales

as ed pse e e pbem we have bee dscusss a as been udesad e capals yem a al- se denss cnde wh he wd make ad

wc s cmpehesble f we anale s isaed paswe e as ed d s b lwg a dee ueb edcng e cncep f mde f pduc ha fecmc ssem e saes, n a ca anayss f msn: Wesen upe, a eas Engand fm e aeseveneenh eu , had pmal adess, wageean

abes In Lan Ameca, he ad sme exe s w,abues wee peaans bu saves "sefs Ipeaa he apasm O use e sue Bu s ngand, Mexc, he Wes Indes a u f anass? Deseac ae a epaae "mde f pduc O s he u(f he sxeeheighee ceues) he Eupea wd-ecmy ncludg gad ad Mexi, n whch case wha

was he mde pducn f hs d ecnm a s sa, b mde f duc we n ge esad

he elan bewee pdcve ces and eans f pduc bu neanal emc eans, snce he mde pduc s iden ed wh e wd ecm as suc Walesen saed fm he cec bsevan a pssbe k he dman mde pdun a a eg w a deem nae sage f deepme s ce he nell b i f an pcess ae depend a nayss e wd ecnm as a whle and n f s slaed asb ead ccud ha by mde f pduc we sheee ndesand a aayca cae devd f sae- s cnnas he has aseed he saes he ecmc

ssem ad s em naed by a d s e cncep de duc Cnse el e wd capa s ecmc sysem s he eu f a hee ca l cnsc bu ea aalss Walese as a s aass

Wln The dn Wd Sm: Caa Agl and On Eean d nm n he Sxeenh Cen w Yok,

4; e Re a Fur Dee o Wo Caa Sye: oeo omave a Cmaav Sde n Se ad H o16. o 4 74

lle e ad F . . 3.


41/197

Feam ad Cap am La Amea 5

ae the pima the ate ttalt Bt h t a ih a mpex ttait teetia etemiateti m a peie pe appxati t te

ete t exat the ppite t i a aat a mee ttait eate eliat dieee itea atiati them h, h ate example h theee te pem ie ig the peaee aea a a dei aet apitam ida i e a apital t exlog la eae tetate ait im t pa hi a wae iiae i i) ad eie thee o te ht t haeemplmet lae a -d "spcnd ae t e eade a amalie i ait t ael ahip i whih ap i modity l e me tha de ae quip ieent tee atiip a eda e t h eh'vet nty Br

wee the em wa t i .o a wod mka hee ape wa i s o o l. talm th mea a a a o y b' s u te ea ait a ap ita m wgIo nIy o( f e whih la i ee n n'mplsd i a aket ae d pructo (my

ame te ae e fam"), a(a tea ae a alteat mdee ma pa e a r i his aa of

h ae am i a a te cu PWl o lapwe the aeti t bu-w t e lae wh e h a zzal lvr a aempee a athe et u COna n te et

th pe theetial hmoenz te mtae mde pti e jd lll t epetat the mt f m tethe apitai t tem a t e h t atatit piipe i ttt y er pt he mae aptat a e t di a

peai Epea aite e ixteeth etalete a I apiam a me pti pdti pt i a maket te we t I hd hae


42/197

46

thought, to look to whether or no such prodcion was orwas not occurrin. t turns out in fct tht it ws and in a verysubstania orm . .'5 The conclusion is hardly surprising Ifthe ony denin eature o the cpilst ode of producion sconstituted by the indivdul otivtions of its gents - theseeng of pro in the aret we will nd capitalis throughout history he syste s thus unied by erely subjectiveprinciple whie relations of production re reduced the roleo r technica accidents dictated by world conditions and actors o production The resut hs nothng in coon with

the copexity o the concrete that is chracteristc o theMaris totalty; rather t recalls he eliintion of sociarelations chrceristic of neoclssc econoics with itseclusive ephasis on the re6 I is not surprsig thenthat Wallerstein's endeavour cuntes in erey actand erudte survey without the sghst ndication otheoreti

cl epanaton

Gp. ct, 39" doub. however, whtr Walsin woud be cove by is argu

mn since ss m o m oasions of big itfl o ofMrx ut no to is s Let u se howvr e su of Wlsti'sspit undtkg: cu pcsl beoud t is Th pon sthat th "ltion of rodtion tht de a sm ae e aos o

podto of te wol sstm nd e ssem a ths oin n im is hEuroe wod-oom Fe lbou is dd ding fu of ism f lao thoghou t podctive eeses ee labor th fom o abo oto usd fo siled wo o cons wheoe lbou i sd o ss sld wo i iphl as T ombintio tho s t esee of ilism Wh lbo is vrw f whl hv oasm . ' (The Mod Wld Sym 12-7) r of Id o d this pgh he mes o o ms h r d otmsudesood i Bt hr no possbl oom fo dout Wan dos ot

ap o b wae of manig of fe bo A xs kows haud lism abou pow is f as t s o sbj to ay xonom oeion d tht is ly sod o te mat s th wos be devd o pope n h mes of odutn Ts s t ss ot w ation w costts sc of im whoaoto is isly osutd soalsm Wallrstn o th otylos h bzae da hat oclsm oss i h gtio of wgao oughot the plnet hs i o ehaps so ssg whn weno tt sme agph Wlesin eus eacoom oco wi s wlow onstts t ss of odute eaos in nopils mods of podto o a me hnial mns of ogaisl wo Eml li ts m m h ta Wallsi s o used e spi of a w h l g of Desc ht oo dligt ind


43/197

Felis itlis i t i A ei 4 7

w e comre he mehod of proimng t he concreechrcersc of it we observe very dere rocessMr begins wih he mos bsrc of reions d hence

nes he commodi nd ecnge n gener. e eyes n wht sense hese eios re modied wen bourower is rnsformed into commod from here hereroceeds he whoe nsis of surpsvue nd he ccumuio process Then n Vome I e d sifs from hecls mode of roducon o he cts economic sysem wih n sis of he ecnge beween Derme

d Derment . Ler on cegores suc s re d commerci ro re ntrodced. rs inbiliy o comeeitl did no erm him o ke the n se owrds heconcree, wich woud hve bee o sie he ssem ofreons he hd deed no he word mke Tis is hecone in whch sever of he obems o w ic Wersei n

udes shoud be osed, ece h we o hen ve rgoros theorec formu ion nd no m d scipveor schor eerce his nyss wod n roduc-ton of conces cbe of conceivin tcy hercion of noncs modes o pon thn hecits word mre. ch n ns d o ems o decde o wh e xen ths rtc i den modesof roducion s soey henomenon pn t e reisory of ci s Mrx sugess n h hy o prmi iveccumo or wheer, on he oh h it s pmnens rucur rocess hroughou the en hstory o cpismThs woud enbe us n y d o s o os origininuion conined i he works o Fn nd Wersein,

which hese wo uhors everess dso he reiveonomy of mercne forms rom e modes o rodciowch susn em This mercnie uonomy, the morenobe he ess ndusrl cism is dev eoped cosies ind of economc bonrism' h opertes beween vrious roducve srucures, nd prevs o the exet h roducio for he mre deveops n oncis forms. ow,desp e h e mor nce of he heomenon, w e hve no theof he reive uoom of commerci cil rior o c ism Crren os ons h ve rsformed hs uoom in o

b i d f h f d


44/197

48

al oder - or have denied t totally postulating the comlete

subordinaton of commecial caita to the domiat mode ofodctin. Between these two extemes les a theoretcal

vacum which needs to be lled

If the FrankWallesten tedecy has come to deny thetheoretica sigicance of the concets of vaios modes oodcto ad to tansfe al sigicat theoretical deter

mnation to ecoomc systems, the last decade has also seen acontrary tendency a theoetica iato o the concet ofmode o oducton a ont where the secc evel of

economic systems disaeas atogethe Ths Lati Ameica the concet of 'coloni mode o odction has gained some

curecy The henomenon o coloiasm a stctral elation between vaos arts o the wod economy whch by

deiton beongs to the analytca level of economic systemss llegitmatey tasered to the level of modes of odcton

As Eniqe Tadete has rghtly ponted ot in a ecent aticle

tracng the ntellectual histoy o the dea tis theoretcaeo was ed to the peclar rceptio of Athsseiansm

n Latn Amerca This ecetio occed at a momet whenthe cte o as cicatonsm had awoe a ew andnexected teest n the stdy o at Ameica modes o

odcto but was seiosly comromzed by a failre to

bea i mid the abstract characte of the concet o ode oroducto. The eslt was that any emica deretito

was consdeed scent annonce uri et or the discoveyo a new mode o odcton This mistae was dobtless

acilitated by ambgtes net n the ntal omlatio oAlthsses theoy andete wtes: Ths inovatio was at

the same time a moveshment the basic easo o whch

ay n the very sense of the Athsseran nteretation oMaxsm It s scet in this context to cte Balibas eciseselfcticsm o a basic oint. hs Baba wtes that in

1967-he had not ndestood that "thre s real histoicaldaectic which is not the ocess o transomation o eveyconce 'socal fomatio that s to say that socal foma

tos are not smly the cocete ste (o means) in whch iseaized a geeal abstact daectc and that these omatos

ae i reaty the ol object whch s tasomed becaset s the oy oe whch eally mles a histoy o class


45/197

Feli nd Cpitli in Ltin Aei 49

stuggle The mste o 16 s summzed then as n-stead o de a ing with so l omtons, ony modes o poduton wee onsdeed tht s st astt geneaty o

whh n pte, soal omatons appeaed ony as theptul a and onete eazato n ' 7he theoy of olonal modes o poduton ws t e an

outstandng exme o ths llegtmte tansposton oeves o adoso, one o te st to fomulate t seaso a oonl s lae mode o podon' nd nds the oll o ns ts denng etes t the lev of ode o poton

1 the at tht the slave in Ltn Aea hd hs own eon-om y ased on t he opeo s onesson of th e podue o apot o land ) the t tht n Ltn mea slavey deveoed n soal fomatons that wee depee perperand deomed; 3 the at tt n Latn e saes ameom populations o l owe level o deveopment than hose o

Euoeans a nd those elongng to deen h eeeatues y whh he ttems to dene he b weenAnent savey and Amean oonl s y sdeed y adoso suent to spek o poduton i th ese two ses s we u dsso lve the onept o mode o podut o easons ontay to those o es c

tte the onept s dissoved e -mnants ae tanseed t the e f the ase o the oe ease even t o y mp-a vatons ae egaded s s s v deent modes of oduton wh u h sy oeodung them d innit h w da the lne

o Cdoso thee s no theoetia t : me he solsentst's ema ssessent o t e evan Yet oouse thee ae geate dees etwee an 8th en-tuy wosho in Maneste and a le moden opoatonthn etween Anent lavey nd ean olonal slavey

E d Sbr l i d dc c l i l Desa

En Bu Ar v 16, 6 A l J 1976 ' Sr l d d r dcc clil Ar Lia El dd rdcc c cl ria S z z rc d r cl Adr Crd d vi Ll, d de dn en era Lana Crd 193


46/197

y ca e fome captas te ae a speakg ofwo dee mdes o pducto ? Oce ts couse s adpedcocepts dsieae as eoeca categoes ad aayssapse o a uga empcsm

We may cocude om tese eos e ta t is uge a axst teoy d eeiae modes of poduct adecoomc sysems as deet eves o aayss e secodco stug a me co cee eve c pesupposes te stTo pepeuae cus o of e w ca bu e ad te mutpicatio of pseudopobems ad paadoxes


47/197

2

Th Sp fh Pt

c ulanza wk Politil Powr n Soil l! cndeable heecal pance n a ea w ene n he pace, becaue Ma ugh dd n egn deel, nl he la decade a yeac he abu henaue and he le he Sae n au cecncan Skech bean aepng eablh heultit cheence beween cecnc change and heanan he plca yem, n kechbean aempng eablh echancal ean ca ual y eween he w , h ae dnaed e aea an a uch a pn ha we can ny welce a k whc e eabl h n he heecal le el e pec c y he pl-cal and whch yttilly a el penccelan Bu, n he ec nd ace he wk l anza n a pe Max w appea n a peecydened heecal ab whn he cuen cnepaax ha cnue y h ean eunPolitil Powr n Soil Cls cne, wu dbhe cpee aep a cnu a rgionl horyang m e geneal pbleac e n way ,

cnue, up a c ean pn a e h e uul ne h pbleac he analy cncee pcee anduan. We u, n h epec ea nd ha a he-ecal appach uul he een a eealeda a uple pnaneu cea ang n pculaae whch culd n hae ul deeped a ck a p n

Por London NB 973 d 05 8 6 9


48/197

5

cple yeazan, ha ay, he pbly heec a ncpan n he aewk a pbl eac A naw nadeuae pbleac , n he cnay, hde heue pble nead clayng he, and ceae an n-upeabe aagn beween geneal heecal ula-n and e nwledge pacula ab and cnceeuan

On b hee cun: gnaly a aep alze eecal y he peccy he plcal, and elanhp wh he lhuean pbleac whch we u add

he ndubable gu and heecal phcan whhch e aep ha been caed u uanza ha been , and wll peuably cnue a he ey cene cnepay Ma plcal analy wll be nece-y, elewhee, ake an eal analy ulanzahugh n eay, hwee, he a w ll be a e ledne cnde e he heecal plcan hedebae caed n by ulanza and Mlband n New LeftReiew2 ae he publcan lband bk he Stte inCpitlist Soiet 3

We wll begn, hen , by uazng he geneal lne hedebae ulanza aack ae an epelgcacue M lband ehd analy T ehd cn

ubanally he ll wng ang a cuen aen buge plcal cence denang ha he acae n cnadcn and cncludng, heee, ha heaen ale n h, Mband whle analy eann an epcal pane: a wh ae eeng eal y and pe ha ealy n cnadcn wh heaen pecely e aldy h appach hauanza ge n ccze nead displing heepegcal ean and ubng hee delge he e a c ence by denag he nadeacy

'Te roe o he aa Sae Nw L Hiw H D 6 R a ey o o Pouaa Nw f w Ja Fe 70 ; R M a Pouaa a he aa w t iw o 82 ov De 173 I oe he wo ae I k e olo in oil is oa/o1 97

ptlt oit oo 6 Ree 75


49/197

The Specicity of the Poltcal 53

to the eal (as Max does, notably in he Theoris of Suplus-Value), Miliband appears to omt this st step.Yet the analysis of mode epistemology shows that it is neve possible

simply to oppose "concete acts to concpts but that tesemust be attacked by othe paallel conceps situated in adeent poblematc. Fo it is only by means o these newconcepts that the old notions can be cononted wth concreteeality'4

Bey Polantzas assets tha i is not a valid meh oconsde the propositions o geois politica science in

soation as empica popositons without tying to etcate their theoetcal substance and witho tang the analyss to the aena of theoretical confontation The ero corespondng to ths attitude is that Mlband does not consder tnecessay to mae epict his own epstemological prnciplesand the theoetcal popositon by whch he judges hs op

ponents ie the Maxist theoy of the State and he then commts the same ero n hs attac aganst bougeois ideologiesof the State placng them on the same tean The consequences that these ideologes end up beng introduced ino Miibandsown analyss his s evdent: in th dicuties that Mlbandhas in compehendng socal asses and the Stae as objecivtructure and the relatons as an objectie system o regular

connection a strctue and a system whose agents "menae in the wods of Max beares o it - trger. Mibandconstantly gves the impession that o hm social classes ogoups ae n some way educbe to inteperonal reationthat the State s educble intepesonal elation o thedverse "gous that consttute the Stae appaatus and naly that the ation between soca classes and the Stae is tselfedube to ntepesona eatons of ndvduals omposing soca goups and "ndvduas composng the Stateappaatus.... Acordng to ths poblematc the agens of asocial fomaton men are not onsideed the beaes oobetive nstanes as they ae fo Max) but as the genetipncipe o the evel of the socal whole. Ths s a pobematc

of socal actors of the ndviduas as the oigin ofsocial action:socologcal esearh thus eads naly not to the stud o e

4 Poulantzas 'The rbem .', p, 21.


50/197

54

obecve co-ordnaes ha deermne he dsrbuon ofagens no socia casses and he conradcons beween heseclasses bu o e search for nas eplanaons founded nhe moaton of conduct of he ndvdua acors Ths snoorious one of he aspecs of he problemac bo of Weberad of coneporar funconalsm To ranspose hs probemaic of he subec no arsm s n he end o adm heepsemoogical prncples of he adversary and o rs van nes own anaysis5

oulanas ces varous eampes where bands empir

cis mehodoog eads hm o he heorecal error menonedn e above proposon Thus n he case of he heory ofes band aemps o show ha her esence s noncompable wh he presence of a rulng class nsead ofcrcng he deoogca noon of e n he lgh of arsconceps. In he case of managera sm hs crue of he

deoogcal concepon of a managera revouon consss ofshowng ha managers see pro as much as any oher economc e formng par of he rung class, whou seeng hahe caegory of pro s an obecve caegory ndependen ofhe movaon of conduc of s bearers and whou referrngo he really relevan probem whch s ha of he relaonsbeween deren fracons of capa. lband aso fas n

hs consderaon of he bureaucracy snce he focuses hsanalyss on he socal orgns and personal es of bureaucraswh members of he rulng cass, .e. cng he a tuationand no he obectie funton of he bureaucracy as he relevanfcor.

Ths consan dverson from he obecve srucures and

laws of he sysem o he persona movaons of her agens whch s a conseuence of he onesd emphass of ilbandconcerned wh he emprcal valdy of he proposons ofbourgeois deolog and no wh her heorecal refuaon s even more obvous accordng o oulanas when lbandies o formulae general proposons vad for he sysem asa woe Thus he prncples whch govern he relave predominance of one o oher of he branches of he pocal sysem woud be for lband he reave promy of he mem


51/197

h Siity o th ol it il

be r ha branch he ung ca, r he edae ecn-c re ha branch Mand ehdgy and here-ca uk hnder h r underandng ha The Sae

apparau r an obti syst peca "branchewhe rean preen a pecc intnl nity and whchbey, a arge een, i own logi. A s ignint shit nhe prednan branch he Sae apparau, r n he rea-n beween hee branche, cann be drecy eabhed yhe edae eerr re h branch, bu deernedby th odition of th whol syst of th stt ppts nd

o its o o intnl nity sh a dcan whch e due change n he r ean prducn and t de-epen n he c a rugge . n he ae way, he changen he preen age he capa Sae wud be reaed he eer cer nk beween eber he ru ng c a andhe Sae apparau, ahe han wh bece change n he

arcuan beween ecny and py. h repecMband he apprae he rhd Cmunhe Stt onooly itlis nay, Mband a nnced ahugh anza crcze h e a r par-ay akng he ae errr ha dege a l cnue anb ece and nunazed ye cprzng he Church pca pare, prena acan (wh he ecep-

n he reunary pary and he rade unn , ch,he a eda and he ay. n h ene uanza ak degca Sae apparaue ang wh repree Saeapparaue

he r repy r Mbnd w aher cauu and de-ene He red uy h ehd whu enern n

pen cnrnan wh uanza cncep nghe derence a prbe epha. Tu he wre, wud ready gran ha h Stt in Cpitlist Soity aybe nuceny "hereca n he ene whch uanzaean bu a end hnk ha h wn apprach . . . errn he ppe drecn . Th, mu re, n a crude(and ae cnrapn eprc eru nn r an-

eprc apprache a aer epha bu heepha pran Mband de, hweer, ake an

Ibd. p 2487 an ' Reply pp 55 6


52/197

5

aen pe prance r e uure cure edeae n ac u e eplc l ge an ul ne e Marery h e u unuedl d er rey Onerean a, ang ulne e ar he e Sae a cncerned e agan he dnanecplal ew and w e laer decncein the onl w in which thi em to e to poibl nmelyin epiric ter (y epa, L 8

Te e endenc reduce he enn h cnnn ulanza a uen epha can e

nd n Mbnd reply cncernng e prle heerecal au plcal le an anageral Tea h rep urn, weer, arund he b ece n aure e ae Here h pn clear cncee e aecluel a a e ece reln lead a rcral uperdeen whch preen u r ealhng

n he erec a leel e rel ae auny he capalae. r ung h paragraph n ull nce cnue he cre h arguen 'r wha (ulanzaeclive re n " ece relan ugge a ae ae de n ee parcular an a all e whollydeened hee ece rean n her rd,a he rucurl cnran e ye ar e alue

cpelng a urn e run he Sae n e ereuncnre and eecuan plce ped upn ey e e e ae e, eer e a l reec helng ar radn (wch a cndere a e ae nly a ple l r nruen anpulaed a ll eulng cla (p 4) nead e ree " he rele auny

he ae u al a ee e d uue en ece rucure and ce rela r l ng cla Bu nce e u cl a d n e he e e ae, n eec ack a e pn brnn e Sae le a cla e e aplaed e rulng c dg : de anul bu ally caue he

" en ped up he e ulanzs he ecn he ecnd and Trd

:


53/197

The Specicity of h Poliical 57

Intenatonals and attributes t ther neglect of the Stt(p. 68) Bt hs own naysis seems to me to lead stgt towads a kind of structr determnsm, o rther strctual

superdeteminsm, whch makes mpossbe a trly relsticconsideation of the dalectical relationshp between the statend the system

This structura superdetermnsm leds, ccordng to Mliband, to the obtertion of deences between dieent formsof government and the bourgeos Stt Acodng to ths onclusion thee would be no eal dence between a bougeos

'democracy and a fascist Stte a concepton whch consttuted the central error of the Comnten dung the nter-wperiod he vey dsegad by Poulntzs fo the derencesbetween vrous forms of government leads hm to n eroneous teatment o the phenomenon of onaptis whc hepesents s chracterstc o al foms of the captalst Sttewhen actually it has emerged only n exceptonl cc

stnces Fnlly he ejects the noton that the deologcaState appratuses belong o the sysem of the State

Mlbands eply is as a whole unstsfactoy: on one handhe ties to educe the concts t poblem of emphass and onthe othe hs mehodologcal assertions and hs theoetcalctcsms suggest that his derences with Poulntz gomuch further than ths supposed dieence o emphss woldseem to indcate

Thee years later however n a new tcle pbshed toark the appearance of the Engsh edton of Poulntzasbook he eopens the debte with new mch moe elaboatednd far-reachng attack Polntzs concepton fomerycharcterized as srucura suprdtrmnsm, s now conceved

as strucurais abstracionsm. y ths we shold nderstandf I have correcty nterpreted Mlbnd theoetic approch n which n abstractly dened nstance seeks its eplanatory prnciple n another eqully abstrcty dened nstance, bt in such a way that ths pocess of eferrng one instnce to the othe turns nto a circular procedue o game ofmrors n whch ny, nothing hs pecse meaning and

the conceptua system s whoe s contdc"y The conse

9 Ibid, p. 289


54/197

quene rdg t iliand s ha Puantza snae nwer e very prblem tat he pses an he spa y e gving an nswer t th e etral pr utmy the apitals Sae e sel

mehd struturalt sm sel tza o reintrue em ter vig made nain t a pnt priple. Ml aertoaza tels us that pwer t oated he ee e u is a ee t eneme o hese evel whl e e s e tme haraterizng eah h e e ves e la ss

trge rom ths prpstn . . . Pul a tzas mves n hei that he nept pwer annt hu s e app l ed t nelee te struture. We we speak fr exampe tteowe we a nnt mean y it the mde the tae artuana he ter evels the s truture we n on y en the oeof deterinte t whse nerest (raer han thse her sia l ases) e state rrepnds w ths, shudhave thught s mnesty nrret t is s mply t rueby s ae pwer we an nly mean the pwer a determin ateas . r ths inte i s t deprve the Stae ny ind utnmy at al ad t turn peiey n he merest strume a deemn ae ass ndee a ut neptize ut esene >

he resn r this usn ardng n i thPulantzas has nt estaihe vtal istint: tht betwee tte owe a nd oe. State pwer the min andul iate u nt the ly me s wherey la pwer ssured and maintae. B ut ne the man reans r stress i ng he mprane e nn he re ae my the state is that here is a as dstnt eween lsspwer and stte pwe an ha e ana ysis the m eaingd pli tha t reltve tmy mused us n he res whih se t t e greater r les rsnes in whh s e erzed a s n he burr e dsn eween l ass pwer nd s ae pwer y nz kes any s uh anay s mps e r l l the

n "enmsm pts des here asume a rm

p p H H


55/197

The Specicity of the Polical 59

From this confusion foows a whole seies of inadeqaces nPouantzas' anaysis: fom the eoneos concepton of theideoogca state appaatses o his no ess eoneos concep

ton of potca pates, edced to being nabet

pay anyaonomos oganizaiona oe. Fom ths foows a paiclay convincin ctiqe of the concepton o Bonapaism inPoantzas

Let us bein then an analysis of the theoetca stcte ofths poemic In the s pace we w have to take p some ofthe mehodooica qesions.

Mdg nd Esmg Quss

Poanas bean by statng te theortical nadeqacy oMiibands method and we mst pon ot, he eceved no epyon his con. On the one hand it s not possbe o consdeMilibands mpessionistc obsevatons abot dein pontsof emphasis as a epy On he ohe hand ahogh Poantzas assetion ha it is nee possbe to oppose "conceefacs to conceps suate n a deent pobemaic s fomaly contadcted by Miband when he says that he has tedto show he decences (of the democatc pais vew) nthe ony way whch seems o me possbe namey in empica

tems Miband maes no aempt whatsoeve to jstify thsasseion; eveyhing depends on denn wha s ndestoodby empiica ems by ths we ndestand an nstanceextena o hought whose fnction s o est the vady of aheoy we nd oseves fly wihin n empcst famewoand he ctiqe of Poanas s vndcaed If, howeve theconcee facs ae podced by the theoy o pobemaic isef

- as moden epstemoogy assets hen the pobems of ogcaconssency and empiica validty ae no sbstanay deent The foms of poof of he aldy of assetons eatngto the objec of nowedge can ony be consdeed eten tothe theoeca sysem n qeson one adts he dencaon beween obec of nowede and ea objec and he

conseqen dsincton beween sbec and obec of knowede To show he nadeqacy beween he sysem of aiomswhich denes he ambt of a theoy and the asseions eatinhe objects aisng wthin his heoy sef s a the same me


56/197

t deonsae he inena coadicions of he eoy I isf s r ta sticly speaing e epiical validiynd ra alidiy of a heoy ae no aspecs whih ntaed Now hen if Miliband ndesood his n or o sow he inenal conadicios of at h i l oleaic saig fom e facs' aising wihi oeia execise could be jsied B on he o n y, yhing i is line of aguet is pesened as ifh i to h e facs ' was a di e appea o e a obecs hsi s a d eence of ephasis wh Po azas a ad i-

deen episeoogical posiion Fueoe he poe aes is couse hogh Miliband had noed e i poance of his s d is agee e

e sho ld pon o in his espec ha heoeic al paic es pa ce wholly on he pl a e of hogh Alhsse hasponed ou he pocess of knowedge does no begin wih ealobes as emiism supposes b wih coneps pees of

infoaion and ides provided y he dieen fos of p a-tce: scienic ideological echnca ec hese conceps aeansfoed by he oeic al pacice ino oes of nowledgewhch as such ae dieen fom ea obecs I otas ohe epcis analyss acoding o whih ledge sasfo he onee and is aised t genea poposons ougha poc ess of absacion/geneaza io we acep he pise-oogica pespecie ha knowledge is nowledge ea o- cs b occing wholy on he le vel of ogh ad movin gfom e absac o he oncee his concree is n o how-v e eaconee bu he coneeinhog sesses expesson So as we wee sayn befoe in so fa he ob e of kn owl edge is poded by eoeia l pactice

e ehods of eiaion ae pa of te eoeaym se A heoy s ony fase o te et ha i isi ' I 1 y nsisen i e if in he pocess o co nscon of cc s eneed into conradicion wi s posu- L .

a pobems he e xen a hey ae uy c c no sticy speaing be hey can olybe / h is no he same hng Le s anal yze his i m osey: wha exaly does i ean o soe t i b ? n he s insance i eans poidg


57/197

he Speity o the Poli ia l 6

a so lon o e dcl es as ng om e pocess o apply ina geneal eoy t a pacla theoetia amb B en woposs ibil ies exs : he s o he se s a he pobl em is eec-

ively esolved n he cose o scenic analyss n accod-ance wh he geneal assmpons o e heoy in qesionhich means ha e poblem exiss no in the theoy b inouselves e n he pesen level whc o deelopmen o has eached he epiial eot io of the p o e on i t tit peaki ng of the negation of i t itne on the theoetia plane The ohe poss bly s a e devel opmen o a heoy

leads o he posig o a ly eocal poblem (e one in-volv ng an n co nssency n he l ocal se o e heoyb e poblem eal ly is eoeical h is means a can -no be esolved wihn he ssem o posuaes o he eoy a s o s ay that it ha no otion Ts sgess h a eoyhas eached e m o s possble deelopme and ha

conseu enl, enes no conadcon w self om spo on , e on ly way owad s o deny he sysem o ax omson wh ch he heoy s bas ed ha s, o moe om one heoecal sysem o aohe B as e poblem geneaing isheoeica l css has emeged a n e x ss ony iin e eoecal hoizon o e pevos syse cann o in s caseehe , be said o ha e bee soled : has smpl y been spesede d, as dissol ed as a poble m wh e emegece o a newhoecal sysem om he eoeical sysem o e eoecal poblems and om e o a new eoeical sysemha s e co se o e pocess o knowlede

ow assui a e aa o emp cal cn on o heoy s sysem o poposions s no e ena l b nena l o

he heoy h a e poblemaic ceaes s own obecse epiia eiation n so a dpoes e heoeica l poposions demonsaes e enl conadconso he theoetia yte In concl so e admi wioabg o hs admsson an aodcic ca ace a aheoecal c qe sas om e epiic a cononaion o

e eoeca sysem unde consideaon e necess ay loca l seps woud be (a) o nd cae e pons o conc beweenhe sphee o emical cononaion and e heoeicasyse quesion be a ng n mid ha s a om be n


58/197

conotto n no acount the lee of absacion oh it paking of abstraction we do so of corse, t hdedcive sense of the tem no in then n); (b satng from the point n discod toim:v otica pobems (c) sarting fom the the m to demonsate he intena theoretcanttn hich lead to the colaps o the theoretcaU () to propose an altenative heoecal sytem hichn OVrome he intenal conradictions of the peio one.

I{rnin to he PouantzasMiliband debate, thin it

1Lo cea that Miibands book, despte is undoubed nrest s of limited theoetical scope since the analss not go beyond step (a) Poulantas, howeve tend touggt tha the crtcal endeavou s ncompete becaue steps(b) and (c) ae ot accomplshed Cdisplacng the epistemoogic-al tean and submiting these ideologies to the cte ofMaist scence by demostatng e nadequacy to the

ea) and neithe is step (d) (a pecondtion of any appoachto the concete is to make eplicit the epistemological prn-cipes of its on treatment of '). 2

But acordng to P0anzas Miband has not ony nosbjected the ideologcal conceptions of the adversay oscenic cticism, ut by emaning on he tean of the latteha ended up incopoating uncrtically those ey concepons. Ths he ays s eected in te pedominance in Ml-and's cocepon of a probematic of he suec, in hichhe motaions of the social actor occupy a ceta oe nhe eplanation of hstorica change n his poit hoer Tel tha Poulantzas cque as goe a lite oo fa Mind tex has no progessed uently nto he ed o

eicl fomalizaio fo u o be abe to aep Polantatorical aseon tat Miand redces the rol of theS o he condc and behavo of he meme of he; aaus. Miband's ext pemits of dferen readins

ampe that the liks eeen memers of he ate a d memb of he uling class ae an indcation '1S ion and not ts cause

I d wih to mply by ts a Poulnza wod agre wt wlfm v h(


59/197

The Speity f the Plita 3

The Method of Poulantzas

Accpng tht Mbnds b rns n h prhsry f

thrtcl frmltn, wht d f Puntswr, whch s n tmpt t rnt xpcty n ths drctn?I thnk tht, n ths rspc, h rsu s r fr frm stsfctyNt s much f h sns pntd u y Mbnd . nndut prcl nuy bu xcty th ppt: bcus f h ck f thtc cnrtn wth th pb-c f hs dsrs unts s nt ry dn-st h ntrnl cntdctns th tcs whch hcs nd th f n whch s tc suprsdshs cntdcns but cns t dsrbig thpnts f dscrpncy nd cryg stght o t us lk mp Puns ut texs Marx n ati ng t thmtn f h prt t ditncto ss

ntsf nd cssfslf nd cncds n dng fhs txts ust b ctd tar. 1 s tdt th prblmc f th "s u" wc a n Ms nlyss ths s th hstn dng'3

Futhr n n r pht 'Ts ;i of xnlyss s sf rltd t ito pol: t t pnd u hr ht s prc h h(oy o sss ts ndqucy s st cly rv.

Thr flws dscrptn th ty csss tnts f th hstcst prb uk nd th unctnst ntrptns f M Gei ,

politics and ideology in marxist theory

Documents